Vehicle-pole.



No. 7||,6|3. Patented Oct. 2|, i902.-

B. W. BERRY.

VEHICLE POLE.

(Application led June 12, 1902.,

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE:

BENJAMIN W. BERRY, OF MONTICELLO, FLORIDA.

VEHICLE-POLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 711,613, datedOctober 21, 1902.

Application nea June 12. 1902. senti No. 111,315. (No model.)

To all whom it may con/cern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN W. BERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monticello, in the county of Jefferson and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Vehicle -Pole, of `which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle poles or tongues, and has'for its object to provide an improved rigid connection between the rear end of the tongue yor pole and the front axle of a vehicle and to facilitate the application and removal of the pole.` It is also designed to permit of a vertical swinging movement of the outer end portion of the pole, so as to obviate strain upon the draft-animals when the vehicle is passing over uneven ground or obstructions, and also to limit this movement, so as to obviate undue looseness of the tongue.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement ofy parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the present form ofv tongue or pole connected to an axle. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig.3 is a detail cross-sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the connecting-bracket between the rear end of the pole andthe axle.`

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates an ordinary front axle, upon which is supported the usual sand-bolster 2 and the body-bolster, through all three'of which passes an ordinary king-bolt 4. The forward end of the reach 5 is inserted between the top of the axle and the bottom of the sand-bolster and is connected to these parts by means of the king bolt. These parts are common and Well known, and therefore may have any preferred form, asthey have been shown to more adequately illustrate the construction and application of the present device.

In carrying out the present invention the tongue or pole is'formed in a comparatively long front member 6 and a short member 6% of which the outer member is free to swing vertically and the rear member is rigidly connected to the axle.

As best illustrated in Fig. 2, the tongue member 6a comprises a front long section and a' rear smaller section 6", which sections are rigidly connected by means of a metallic plate or strap 7 applied to the top of these sections and extending throughout the entire length thereof. The tongue-sections 6a and 6* are spaced at an interval, so as to lie at opposite sides of fthe axle, and the front and rear sides of the latter are providedwith notches or seats 8 for the snug reception of the respective ends ofthesesections, the plate or strap 7 being provided with an opening 9, located' connected thereto by clips 14.- These braces are preferably formed by flat straps or bars of metal, with their forward ends twisted so as to lie in vertical edgewise position and extended forwardly in parallel relation, as indi-l cated at 15, so as to lie at opposite sides of the pole or tongue and overlap the joint 16, between the members thereof. l The pole-section 6 is rigidly connected to the braces by means of a transverse bolt 17 piercing the same, and the rear end of the member 6 is pivotally connected to the braces by means of a pivot-bolt 18, whereby the pole member 6 is capable of a vertical movement upon the bolt 18 as a pivotal support.

To limit the vertical swinging movement of the pole member 6, there has been provided the oppositely-disposed substantially U-shaped metallic clips 19 and 20, which are riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the parallel portions of the braces and are arranged to lie one above and the other below the pole, with the clip 2O disposed so as to overlap the joint between the pole members, and each clip projected beyond the pole, so as to permit of a swinging movement of the latter upon its pivotal support and at the same time to limit said movement.

In order that a draw-bar may be connected to the pole, the pole member 6a is provided with a vertical opening 21, preferably located between the fastening 17 and the forward end of the pole member, so as to receive the pivot-bolt of said draw-bar.

It will here be noted that the vehicle-pole is made up of front and rear members, of which the member 6 is the front member, while the rear member is made up of the sections 6^L and 6b, and said rear member is rigidly secured to the axle and also forms a support for a draw-bar, whereby the latteris not aifected by the pivotal movement ofthe front member.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that while the present form of pole or tongue has a rigid connection with the front axle, so as to effectually control the same, it is also capable of a slight vertical swinging movement, so that the pole may give or yield when the vehicle is passing over uneven ground, and thereby prevent strains upon the draft-animals. Moreover, the connection between the pole and the axle is such as to ap- 'ply the draft directly to the axle and relieve the same from the king-bolt.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with an axle,ot' a tongue or pole formed in sections which lie in engagement with opposite sides of the axle, a plate or strap applied to correspondingr sides of the sections and connecting the same, and a bracket embracing the axle and connected to the opposite pole-sections.

2. The combination with an axle having a king-bolt opening, of a tongue or pole having opposite sections lying in engagement with the respective front and rear sides of the axle and in line with the king-bolt opening thereof, a plate or strap applied to the upper sides of the pole-sections and the axle and connecting said sections, the strap being provided with an opening registering with the kingbolt opening of the axle, and a bracket embracing the lower side of the axle and provided with upper terminal ears lying against the under sides of the respective pole-sections, and fastenings piercing the connectingplate, the respective pole-sections and the ears of the bracket.

3. The combination with an axle, of a pole or tongue formed in sections which lie in engagement with the opposite sides of the axle, a plate or strap passing across the axle and connecting the opposite pole sections, a bracket embracing the opposite side of the axle and connected to the pole-sections, and inclined braces extending between opposite ends of the axle and the forward end portion of the front pole-section.

4. A vehicle pole or tongue formed in front and rear members, of which the rear member has a rigid connection with an axle and also forms a support for a draw-bar, and the front member has a vertically-swin ging pivotal connection with said rear member.

5. A vehicle tongue or pole formed in front and rear members, of which the rear member has a rigid connection with an axle and 'also forms a support for a draw-bar, and the front member has a vertically-swinging pivotal connection with the rear member, and a stop carried by one of these members for engagement with the other member to limit the vertical swinging movement of the front member.

6. A vehicle tongue or pole formed in front and rear members, of which the rear member has a rigid connection with an axle and also forms a support for a draw-bar, and the front member has a vertically-swinging pivotal con nection with the rear member, and a stop carried by the rigid member for engagement by the swinging member to limit the movement thereof.

7. A vehicle pole or tongue formed in front and rear members, of which the rear member has a rigid connection with an axle, and the other member has a vertically-swinging pivotal connection with the rear member, opposite braces carried by the rear member and overlappingthe front member and a stop, carried by said braces and lying in the path of the front tongue member to limit the movement thereof.

8. A vehicle pole or tongue formed in front and rear members, of which the rear member has a rigid connection with an axle, opposite braces carried by the rear member and overlapping the front member, a pivotal connection between the front member and the braces, and a stop carried by the braces and lyingin the path of the pivotal member.

9. A vehicle tongue or pole formed in front and rear members, opposite braces carried by the rear member and overlapping the front member, substantially U-shaped stop-clips carried by the braces and spanning opposite sides of the front member, and a pivotal connection between the front member and the braces and lying between the clips.

10. The combination with an axle, of a tongue or pole formed in front and rear members, ot' which the rear member is rigidly connected to the axle, braces extending from the axle to the front end portion of the rear pole member and provided with forward extensions embracing opposite sides of the front pole member, a substantially U-shaped clip carried by the brace extensions and overlapping the under side of the joint between the pole members, another inverted substantially IIO U-shaped clip carried by the outer end pormy own I have hereto affixed my signature in tions of the brace extensions and overlapping the presence of two witnesses.

the front side of the outer pole member and V a pivotal connection between said outerpole BENJAMIN W' BERRY 5 member and the brace extensions and located between the clips. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as Witnesses:

T. M. PULEsroN, R. C. PATCHIN. 

